It Was Almost Poetic
by NomadicRoamer
Summary: "You taste like cigarettes and fire whiskey." "You like it." Sirius replied, smiling against her mouth. She answered with a kiss. V is a fifth year in the Marauder era, and comes to Hogwarts from a past of homeschooling from her father. She struggles to hide her sickness, while keeping up with the boys and managing her predisposition for Divinations.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Hogwarts, the Marauders, or the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Only the original characters, and plot are my creation. JK Rowling is our queen as always.

A tentative knock interrupted the conversation in the compartment. Sirius turned to the door with his mouth hanging open from his story.

"Come in." Remus said, half standing to push the door open. A tall girl stood before the Marauders with wild hair, and bare feet. Her skin was sun kissed, and it made her eyes look all the more hazel. She looked off put for a second like she hadn't expected to meet a compartment full of boys. She recovered quickly, and her eyes darted around the compartment. She raised her arm in a wave, causing the bracelets that covered her forearm to tingle in a sound one might compare to the wind.

"Hello. I was just looking for a place to sit, but it seems this compartment is past capacity already..." She trailed off, staring at the mess of clothes, books, and wizarding toys that littered the floor and seats. A heavy looking book dangled precariously off the overhead compartment and she was sure it was about to fall onto the round blonde boy sitting below.

"No, no, sit down please!" cried a red haired girl desperately, grabbing the girl's heavily decorated arm. "I've been listening to talk of Quidditch for the past half hour, I could really use an ally."

"Who am I to deny a cry for help?" she laughed. Remus noticed she had a quill tucked haphazardly behind the ear that wasn't covered in silver rings. He quirked an eyebrow intrigued, and decided he approved of any girl who was willing to wear her intellect on the outside.

"Oh, thank Merlin! I'm Lily by the way. Lily Evans. You can sit by me. I'll protect you from this lot." She looked uneasily toward the four boys, who took on a look of indignation.

"Lily! I would never hurt anyone!" cried a boy with very messy jet black hair and dark round glasses. He held a hand to his chest, insulted. The girl noticed he held a pack of what looked to be Zonko's Squirting Ink Quills behind his back. Lily rolled her bright green eyes, blushing a bit.

"Please, James. Wasn't it you who just hexed a second year on the platform?"

"Well, I...Sirius made me do it!"

"He deserved it, too. Pesky little guy. He needed a bit of a boost." said Sirius with a chuckle, ruffling his long thick hair, and slapping James on the back.

"I hardly think he needed a literal one." scolded Lily. The girl squirmed in her seat between Remus and Lily, uncomfortable at the thought of unwarranted hexing.

"I'm afraid we're being quite rude." said the bookish looking boy beside her. "I'm Remus Lupin. The hexing bloke is James Potter. His adversary is Sirius Black, and that's Peter Pettigrew." He extended his hand, and she met it with a soft shake.

"A pleasure, I'm sure." she replied. "I'm V. Just V." A snicker came from the opposite side of the room.

"V, eh?" Sirius mocked with a good natured smirk.

"Yes." she said with an air of superiority. She pulled her bracelet clad feet under her, and raised her shoulders. "My parents' gave me the gift of a wonderful name, which I shall share with no one." She raised her eyebrows, wiggling them suspiciously at the boy.

"Ah, now, embarrassment I can understand." he resigned. He couldn't help but appreciate the apparent similarity in their familial situations.

"So, V, what house are you in?" Peter stuttered. He was curled up in the corner nearest the door. His short arms were empty of any toys in stark opposition to the others, who all held some incriminating item or another. V made a mental notice of the difference.

"I haven't got one yet, actually. My family's rather transient. I've been home schooled. Papa recently signed on with the Ministry though, Department of the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. That's why we traveled. He was studying the migration patterns of Doxies."

Sirius snorted, but said nothing. Turning to James, he scrunched up his face and made a circular gesture with his hands. V coughed.

"Well, what are your houses then?"

"Gryffindor." James said proudly, pushing his chest out. He opened his robe with gusto, revealing an obnoxious red and gold sweater with a roaring lion.

"It's the only house, really." said Sirius in agreement. "Anywhere else, you'll be dragon's meat."

"Honestly, boys." Lily interrupted. "There's nothing wrong with the other houses at all. One of my very good friends, Severus, is in Slytherin."

"Snivellus is not the best example of good people." James sneered.

"He's up to his abnormally large nose in Dark Arts." Sirius clarified. Lily huffed, mumbling something about Remus being the only person in a fifteen foot radius worth talking to.

"I'm going to go find him." she challenged, and stood abruptly walking from the compartment. Last minute she hesitated by the door. "You're welcome to come, V. If you want." V, who had already stretched out on the newly open seat, blushed.

"I, uh, I'm good here." Lily smiled a bit before leaving. V turned back to the rest of the crowd and noticed everyone staring at her. Almost as if seeing through her. She tugged a bit nervously on her over-sized white top. She was suddenly very aware that her tan stomach was hanging out the bottom, revealing a tiny triangle inked into her hip.

"So..." she said, testing the waters. "What's going on..." Looking from Remus with his nose in a very thick book to Peter who looked quite frightened, she found no reassurance. Her gaze settled on the two dark haired boys. They were grinning wildly, leaving her unsettled.

"Oh, nothing." Sirius sing songed. V noticed that all four arms that should have been were hidden within their robes. Lazily, she tried to position herself in a safe stance without them noticing.

"Do you like sweets, V?" James asked.

"I do enjoy Chocolate Frogs." she indulged.

"Probably not after this."

"After wh-" she choked, as gallons of sticky sweet chocolate covered her dark hair. She gaped at the boys. The boys burst out into laughter, doubling over and falling into one another.

"Did you see her face?!"

"Priceless!"

"Choc-chocolate frogs!"

"So naive!"

"You've never ridden with the Marauders before. Obviously." James laughed, straightening up just a bit. "It's no offense really. Just have to break you in before we hit the castle."

"It's been a long prankless summer." sighed Sirius, looking dreamily at the door. "Good to be home." V licked her lips.

"Not bad." she nodded. "I wouldn't have used chocolate, if I were you. Taken it up a notch instead." she winked.

"Why didn't we think of that!" James yelled, looking incredulously at Sirius.

"Don't look at me, mate. I would never do that to someone's _hair._ That's everyone's best feature." James rolled his eyes, and pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

"Padfoot, it's only our best feature. No one else could dream to be so lucky." The pair engaged in a session of hair fluffing, and flipping leading V to wonder about the nature of their relationship.

"Boys, I am afraid I must head to the wash. I can't exactly get sorted like this." she pulled a string of gooey hair away from her shirt, which she noticed was definitely ruined. It made a disgusting _gloop_ sound.

"Farewell, m'lady. Hopefully, we'll see you in the Hall."

"We'll be the ones at the red and gold table." Sirius winked. V shook her head, stepping over the boys' long legs and out into the hall.

"It's not as if we haven't known each other since we were five, Severus!" she heard Lily yell. She found the redhead near the front of the train by the prefect's compartment talking to a disgruntled, greasy looking boy. V swore she could see the sheen from her hundred feet away. He seemed to answer her, but V couldn't hear the response. She could tell from Lily's expression it was not the right answer. Lily pointed a finger very near his nose, which was just as large as Sirius had asserted. His demeanor changed a bit, but Lily didn't notice. She only folded her arms and turned, heading V's way in a very angry manner.

"Don't tell James and Sirius they were right. Their heads are big enough already." Lily said when she reached the chocolate covered girl. Her eyes glistened a bit, but after seeing the mess she smiled. "They inducted you, I see."

"Is that what this is?" V laughed. "I was hoping it wasn't too late for me to avoid them for the rest of the year." A horrified look crossed Lily's face.

"They're not that bad, really. Well, they are. But, once you get to know them you get used to it."

"I'm joking, Lily. They seem nice. Besides I have to pay them back for ruining my shirt."

"That's just what they need. Most people just take their jokes. It's about time someone paid them back. Someone like you is exactly right for the job."

"I plan to pay them back tenfold." V wiggled her eyebrows at the girl. "Um, you wouldn't mind helping me remove this stuff, would you? I have a feeling it's not going to come off with water."

"Knowing them, it's probably enchanted to get worse with the scrubbing." Lily sighed. "Follow me, we'll figure it out."

Back in the compartment, the Marauders had moved on from their chocolate excursion and James was talking at them about his plans to win Lily over with Quidditch. Remus would sigh and look up every few minutes, nodding at James' pursuits. The conversation couldn't be any more James. Peter was hanging on every word. He had moved to the opposite seat to hear better, and was nodding excitedly agreeing with James' tactics. Sirius on the other hand was not all with them. He caught about every other word before his focus shifted to V. His interest had been piqued by her long messy hair, and dark skin. She hadn't been wearing any shoes, and her small feet had danced to the conversation. It was like every response she had was full body, and Sirius' body had definitely reacted to her.

"Isn't that right, Padfoot?" James elbowed Sirius' ribs. He winced.

"Always, Prongs." Sirius replied with a large smile.

"See, Peter! She had looked at me differently!"

"James, I don't think she looked at you at all..." Remus closed his book, setting it aside.

"Moony! Not you, too. Evans was crying for me with her eyes." James mimicked the expression, pulling his mouth down into a pout and batting his eyes desperately.

"Maybe this year will be the year..." Sirius half joked. He was rooting for James, he really was, but Lily was a bit uptight for his taste. "Or you could just have your pick for a little while. The options aren't too bad, y'know."

"She is my pick." James muttered, his pout turning real. Remus shook his head at the lovestruck boy. James would never admit it in public, but he was as hopeless as a hopeless romantic could get.

The boys fell into easy conversation about their summers as the time passed quickly on the train. Soon enough they arrived, and joined the rest of the students filing into the horseless carriages. Spotting her long red hear, James led the group running toward Lily to catch the same carriage. Luckily for him, they got there just before a group of Ravenclaw sixth years could get in with her and V. The ride to the castle passed with V staring out the windows at the dark Hogwarts grounds. As they passed each feature, Remus and Lily gave her the tourist explanation.

"The Giant Squid lives in there. So don't go swimming." Lily warned, pointing to a large mass of shining water.

"Alone." Sirius added. "James and I have swam there loads of time with no trouble."

"You did lose your shorts to it the last time, Padfoot." Remus laughed.

"Potaytoes, Potahtoes." Sirius said with a large gesture. "It's safe enough."

"Of course, that's the Whomping Willow." Remus gestured toward a tall, thick tree with large knots of branches. He paled a bit as he said it, but V hardly noticed anything except the gorgeous scenery. She caught a glimpse of a mass of trees and bounced, excited. Her feet itched to climb the large trees.

"And the forest?" she asked, glancing eagerly around the carriage.

"We're not allowed in there." Peter said shyly.

"Why not?"

"It's the Dark Forest. Dumbledore's forbidden it as unsafe, or some nonsense." James said.

"Which it is." Lily said, glaring at the boy. "If she follows your advice, she'll be missing by Wednesday." V smiled, as the boys pulled equally offended looks.

"There it is." Peter squeaked. V leaned over, pressing her face into the glass to get a better look. The castle was enormous, larger than she'd expected. Its towers and spires reached high, and she looked to the highest one deeming it the Astronomy tower. She smiled, comforted by the thought of her favorite subject.

"Don't be nervous." Lily whispered. "Any house has its good and its bad. You'll be fine, and we'll be here for you."

"I'm not." V said, very confident about this school year. The carriage slowed and pulled into a gentle stop, falling into line behind the others.

"Shall we?" V asked, pushing open the door and leading the way. She flexed her toes into the soft mixture of mud and grass, sighing contentedly.

The six fell into step with the rest of the students, and V watched as a tall man with an unruly tangle of a beard led a group of tiny students toward the castle.

"There's Hagrid! You really should go catch up with him. He'll take you to the Sorting." Lily said, waving toward the half giant. "There you go, he's stopped."

"We'll see you inside!" James yelled, as V was shoved away by Lily. She walked quickly, and as she reached him she noticed the strange odor of mothballs. She stifled a cough.

"A'right now. We'rr all 'ere? Le's go." Hagrid led the group toward the castle, V kept sight easily over the heads of the first years.

"The boat ride was scary. I'm a little nervous now." a tiny blonde girl said to a boy only marginally bigger.

"It's okay, Annie. We'll be in Hufflepuff together, I'm sure of it." he said, grabbing her small hand. V smiled at the pair.

"When we enter the Great Hall, I will read your name. As I read it, please step forward and take a seat on the stool. The Sorting Hat will place you in your House. The Houses are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin." A tall, black haired woman who had introduced herself as Professor McGonagall said. The sea of first years flowed unceremoniously through the huge wooden doors before them.

There were four long tables, and V found the Marauders under the gold and red banners hanging from the enchanted ceiling. She waved, and smiled when the five returned her wave mirroring her excitement.

"Allister, Loren." A girl with short brown hair, walked nervously toward the tall Professor. She stumbled on her robe hem, earning a snicker from the green and silver table. V frowned. Professor McGonagall placed a worn hat on the girl's head. She started slightly, when it opened its wrinkled mouth and blared "Ravenclaw" to the students. The girl jumped down and headed the cheering witches and wizards under the blue banners.

"Holloway, Princeton."

"Slytherin!" This time the hat had taken a bit longer, and V wondered what happened while you were seated beneath it. After a slurry of first years were sorted, she also began to question how sanitary wearing the same hat could be. She just hoped none of the eleven year olds had mites.

"Langston, Virginia." V cringed. She didn't dare sneak a look at the Gryffindor table after trying to hide her name. She sat on the short stool, her knees very near her chin. Her long hair lingered just above the floor, and she tapped her bare feet on the cold stone earning a soft patting sound from the old floors that she found comforting.

"Interesting, very interesting." The hat called.

_ Have I gone mad?_ she thought, surprised by the voice whispering seemingly from inside her own head.

"Certainly not, Miss Langston. Though perhaps you are a bit...off." It hesitated.

_I'm seated beneath a talking hat, and I'm the off one._

"A mouth on you I see. And cunning beneath. The spirit of a wanderer. Fearless, you'd like to think."

V felt as though she'd been sitting there for hours by the time the Sorting Hat stopped battling itself. She glanced nervously at the tables, chewing her lip. Her eyes met Sirius' beneath his dark mass of hair. A large grin emerged beneath his straight nose. He mouthed something she thought was "Good luck," but it could have been "Pig's butt" she giggled.

"Mr. Black, eh? There's a thought. It'll have to be...Gryffindor!" It boomed, and cheers roared from the Gryffindor table. She grinned, and marched triumphantly to the bench beside the Marauders. She wondered what it had meant by mentioning Sirius, but brushed it off.

"Mind if I sit with you?" she asked, shoving herself between James and Remus. "I'm starving."

Sirius sighed, releasing a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Remus glanced at him, noticing the difference in his demeanor.

"Ready for the feast to begin." Sirius said briskly. Remus only held his gaze before looking back to V.

"So, Virginia, is it?" James asked, taking a large bite of mashed potatoes. V choked on her mouthful of pumpkin juice, spewing it onto Sirius' robes.

"I'm not very proud of it."

"I can see why not. And I thought Sirius had it bad."

"Hey- I thoroughly enjoy my namesake. It makes me sound manly and rugged."

"Like a dog." James jeered. "Good boy!"

Sirius barked a laugh, continuing his onslaught on the roast beef before him. V decided she could handle becoming a part of this circle.

"It's not that bad." Lily said warmly. "I like it."

The next day held the first day of classes, and V was eager to find her bed. She and Lily headed to the dormitory before the boys, leaving them to their mashed potato forts.

"Magnus Prethium." Lily said, causing the portrait of the Fat Lady to swing forward. "It's up to the left. The boys' is to the right, then. Ours has the best view of the lake." V followed in companionable silence, counting the moments until her head could hit the pillow.

"Oh, Merlin's beard, this bed is my new love!" V cried, falling unceremoniously onto the quilted bed. "I thought we would never meet, and I would live a lonely spinster life!"

"I'm glad that dream's been ended. I'm allergic to cats." Lily sniffed, crawling into her own bed. A few other fifth years trickled into the room, climbing into their own beds. When the room was void of all giggles, V found herself lying awake.

"Hey, Lil." she called into the darkness.

"Yea?"

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"Taking me under your metaphoric wing."

"Don't thank me yet. Let's get you through the week with James and Sirius first." V grinned at the thought of spending time with the boys. Maybe one in particular more than the others. Mostly she was excited to respond to the chocolate endeavor from earlier. She had a feeling the year was going to bring plenty of opportunities for responses.

She fell into a solid sleep, only to wake up in a cold sweat. Breathing heavily, she tried to forget the nightmare that had been plaguing her for weeks. She was safe in Hogwarts. Nothing could reach her here. She pulled her wet hair from her neck, relishing the cool air on her skin.

Her philosophy had always been to let things take their course. No use troubling over fate. With the recurrence of her dream, she wondered if maybe she'd been wrong. Shaking her head of the thought, she closed her eyes, wishing for a dreamless sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling nor could I ever dream to be. I regrettably am not clever enough to develop the Harry Potter, or any other element of her stories. I do hope you enjoy my adaptation of her characters anyway.**

* * *

It had been a month since V had been thrown into the tornado that was Hogwarts life. Fortunately for her, Lily had been a saint in keeping her alive thus far. She'd already stumbled across the wrong people a couple of times, leading her to believe Sirius' continuous warnings of what she had recently deemed "stranger danger," might hold some truth.

Her own existence within Hogwarts had been verified and publicized, when she made good on her promise of reciprocation. It was the third day of classes, and V had finally gotten the hang of the moving staircases after a rather embarrassing first encounter.

"Virginia!" sang Sirius from across the vast stairwell. She cringed inwardly at the sound of her name.

"Yes, Sirius?" she crossed her arms across her crest laden chest, tapping her bare feet. She was already going to be late for Muggle Studies as it was.

"Virginia?" he called again, putting a hand to his ear feigning deafness. "Was that you?"

"Sirius Black, I'm late!" she yelled, rolling her eyes. A slew of giggles and whispers began behind her. Her shoulders drooped as she realized what she had said. Schoolgirls were such a plague. She blushed, flustered at the thought of what was crossing their small minds.

"But, darling, we've never even kissed!" he called, changing his game from embarrassing her by exploiting her fear of loud noises and public speaking to more private matters. She sighed. She had learned that the best way to deal with the tiresome boy was to indulge him. And although she might be reluctant to admit it, it did make her feel special when he took the time to embarrass her.

"Then how?" she cried, placing the back of her hand against her forehead. She looked to the giggling girls behind her and gasped loudly. "Osmosis!"

"Oatmeal, indeed!" he yelled back. The staircases shifted, and V found herself at the next landing and walked onward with a giggle. Being mindful of her toes she stepped onto the cold stone floor. She considered correcting him, but decided against it.

"Wait for me, Virginia! Breakfast will come again!" V glanced behind her and welcomed the sight of Sirius leaning over the banister much like a wayward Romeo. She already had a soft spot for the loping boy. She was enchanted by the simplest things he did, like the way the corner of his eyes crinkled when he smiled or how his feet always pointed further out than they should have when he stood. Seeing him bent over the rail with his thick black hair covering his gray eyes caused her heart to flutter. V shook her head. She had no time for boys especially boys who had the power to make her feel this way after such a short time. She had much bigger things on her plate, and she would do well to remember it.

Sirius watched V as she walked down the corridor above him, the waves of her hair ended just above her best feature, giving him ample reason to appreciate it. When she was out sight, he continued on his way to the Great Hall. Practically running down the stairs, he jumped over the last three landing awkwardly with his arms outstretched. He was off his game today apparently. The truth was Sirius had had a bit of a clouded mind lately. Trying to balance school while also attempting to avoid his family was proving to be more difficult than he'd thought. He'd already ran into Regulus twice, and if that was any sign of things to come, he had a dim year ahead of him. And on top of that Virginia Langston kept dancing through his brain giving him beaming looks between gasps of laughter. He struggled to clear her from thought at night, only to be greeted by a more seductive version in his dreams.

" Sirius!" A shapely blonde girl called. She was seated on the sill of a tall window facing the clock tower. Sirius couldn't help but notice the glimpse of pale leg between the seams of her robes. Her short blonde hair was pulled into a high ponytail, revealing her long unmarred neck.

"Callie." He greeting, shooting her a prize winning smile. He approached her and was immediately pulled against her soft body. His body reacted to the warmth, and he wrapped his long arms around her small waist.

"I've missed you." She whispered, twirling the hair at the base of his neck around her slender fingers. "Why didn't you owl?"

Thoughts of his miserable summer at home meshed with the thoughts of his spring with Callie, most of which had been spent dodging inside broom closets. She was a tempting distraction, but he honestly hadn't thought of her once he returned to Grimmauld Place. His mother had been at his throat the second he entered the door, going on about the disgrace of being friends with James and Remus, and the importance of maintaining blood purity by his choice of witch. According to her, he'd already soiled the family's name beyond repair. Regulus was the only one bringing any sense of respect to the Black name. Sirius had spent the majority of his summer in his small bedroom, drumming his fingers on his desk, and reading up on motorcycles via smuggled muggle magazines. He had received Callie's owls, but the letters remained unopened in a small pile on his bedroom floor.

"Is romance dead?" he asked, cradling her face with his hand, "Distance makes the heart grow fonder."

Callie visibly swooned, and Sirius chanced seating her back on the windowsill. Pulling her gently toward the seat and running his hand lightly down her arm, he backed away slowly. Callie sighed, watching the boy's back as he strode away. His arse was definitely worth remembering.

Sirius entered the Great Hall, grateful to be free from Callie, and also for the ego boost he'd been given. Girls were so easy. If you picked up a postcard every once in a while, you could make them believe anything with little to no effort. Luckily for him, he always chose girls who weren't bright enough to figure that one out. Distance makes the heart grow fonder was etched onto the postcard he'd seen when visiting Italy with his family that June. He'd snorted at the corniness then. It did come in handy every now and again though.

The sight of James and Frank Longbottom surrounded by books brought him back to reality. Free periods were unfortunately to be filled with essays he'd been assigned in Potions already. He was just happy to be meeting James, sure that there would be entertainment to come from his best mate.

"Ah, there he is! The man of the hour!" James greeted him.

"The man of the millennium!" He retorted, dumping his bag onto the table. A third year boy gave him a look of disdain as balls of paper rolled across the table. Ignoring it, he pulled out a pack of Sugar Quills offering one to the Quidditch Captain.

"Where d'you get those?" James asked, sucking on the candy. He hadn't chosen the sweet life, but the sweet life had chosen him. The candy fizzled in his mouth, and he puckered his face in response. He hadn't remember the candy being so...active.

"Langston. It was an offering of good will she said." Sirius explained, scratching his freshly itching scalp. "I have to admit, she's beginning to grow on me now that she's gifting me sweets."

"Ah. Such a quick learner." James appreciated, rifling through his wayward papers. The Potions essay wasn't necessarily a lost cause. James was quite good at it actually. It was just the exhaustion of actually writing the essay that thwarted his efforts. He leaned back, scratching the back of his head and leaving his hair sticking up in a way that much resembled a peacock.

"I am surprised she gave up so easily though. I'd fancy a row with her I think. It'd be nice to have a clever nemesis for once, make it a bit more challenging."

"I say let her relax. She has just arrived after all. Next week, that's when we'll strike again." James plotted, scratching a bit more viciously at the back of his head. "Blimey. Did you drop Finxley's Flea Fairies on me, Padfoot?" An agitated look crossed James' face. The boy beside him was scratching just as relentlessly, and his suspicion switched focus.

"Langston." Sirius growled. He pulled his hand away from his head to see what could only be described as a murder scene. "No, no no." He grabbed at his head to find the hair falling out on all hemispheres of his cranium. Not only was it abandoning him, but it was _blonde._

"I'll murder her." James cried, attempting to sweep the tufts of light hair into a pile on the table. He gathered it, and pulled out his wand. Muttering a permanent sticking charm, he paused. A fleeting look of deep thought passed his face before he decided against using his hands to apply the hair. It was probably V's plan – to have him walking around with hairy palms. One for wit and cunning, James rolled his head across the table back and forth like a rolling pin. Sirius on the other hand had snatched James' Potions book and was thumbing through it determined to find the proper remedy.

"Oi, what happened to you lot?" Peter approached with caution, carefully remaining outside arms' reach. He stayed standing, as if on the verge of fleeing. He'd seen situations escalate fast in his time with the Marauders, and he was not going to become the scapegoat.

"Virginia." Sirius said, burying his nose deeper into the text. He continued searching fervidly, stopping abruptly finally realizing that Peter had appeared. "Wormtail! Where's Moony?"

The small blonde shook a bit in the mist of Sirius' roar. He'd always been a bit frightened of the bloke. After all he was a Black, even if he was in Gryffindor.

"I-" Peter started, sweating a bit under the sudden pressure to answer.

"Nevermind." Sirius stood, pushing the bench back loudly. "I'll find him."

XX

"I hope someone's managed to catch a picture." Lily attempted to hide an innocent giggle. V had just finished informing her of the grand master scheme she had hatched to make both James and Sirius lose their luscious locks. Bleach and Bald was the name she had coined.

"Me, too." V grinned, flipping through the pages of Herbology Biweekly. The article on page fifteen had her interest piqued. It wasn't every day one saw an article on the healing powers of sage when incinerated with Unicorn hair just past the point of ash.

_Wanda Comesly of the Witches Against Warts Federation recently came clean to Herbology Biweekly with her secret to flawless skin._

_"The answer is precisely where you'd think it not be." The experienced witch told this reporter. In a less elusive answer, the secret lies within the healing powers of atypical roots of sage, a plant not usually noted for its magical properties. Unfortunately for those of you rushing out now to purchase this treatment, the root must be fresh and mutated. A normal variety simply won't be potent enough._

_"Potency is the key to any strong remedial potion." Comesly explained. "When mixed with the right substances, this particular mutant is able to reach near historic heights in the realm of maximum potential to heal. And it's not just for skin either." _

The picture featured in the center of the article was of a gray haired witch with wiry glasses. Her eyes twinkled above a small button nose, winking conspiratorially at the reader. She glanced both ways before dashing to the foreground. Her mouth turned up in a tight smile, and just as she began to open her mouth to speak the picture reset. V found herself pondering what exactly Comesly had meant about the powers of the mutant sage root. Skimming the rest of the article, V only found redirection to other plants that gave witches more supple looking skin. She sighed, and rubbed the back of her clammy neck. It was about that time, actually, and she stood making a move to head toward the dungeons. As she turned toward the portrait, she was met with a most peculiar vision.

Sirius and James stomped angrily through the passageway followed closely by a frazzled looking Remus.

"I can't let you harm her, mates. It's against school rules." He said loudly, turning red when he saw the full Common Room watching him. Lily snorted at the sight of the premature balding taking place before her eyes, catching the attention of James and Sirius. Shrinking into her seat, she hid her smile behind her sleeved hands, leaving only her twinkling eyes visible. V on the other hand did not hide her laughter. She seemed to grow two inches at her visage come true.

"Don't look so proud, Langston!" James pouted, "You've nearly ruined my good looks! If it weren't for my physique, I'd be doomed." From the looks of it, James had attempted to re-glue his hair to his head without much success. There were bright blonde patches of fluff stuck to his earlobes, and a smidgen between his eyes.

"I'm quite fond of the uni-brow, James. I'm not sure how the rest of the girls will feel about it though. Perhaps Sirius can help you wax it." Her eyes sparkled, as she flung her arm across his deflated shoulders.

"How did you manage to make it irreversible?" Remus piped in. He was reluctant to admit he had been unable to make the boys' hair grow back.

"A witch never reveals her secrets." V winked, "But perhaps with the right appeals, an exception could be made. I do miss your rats' nest, Potter." She ruffled his hair playfully. Her mouth fell open as more blonde locks floated gracefully to the ground. James sniffed at her, picking up the hairs one by one and stuffing them into the pockets of his slacks.

"I'm going to bed." He huffed, exiting the common room in a particularly pathetic attempt to look angry.

"It is reversible, right, V?" Sirius asked softly. She looked at the boy. She hadn't been expecting to see such a look of pain. Honestly? Over a bit of hair. V hadn't meant to be cruel, only to make them laugh. She wondered if maybe she'd been too hard on them. After all they'd only just met, she didn't necessarily know them well enough to actually hurt their feelings. A sadness entered her for a moment. Maybe she didn't fit in as well as she'd thought. In attempt to remedy the situation, she dug into her pockets.

"Here it is." She successfully pulled a small wooden box from her pocket, the silver bangles on her arm clanged joyfully. Sirius eyed the box warily.

"It's not going to make my eyebrows fall out, is it?" V thought she heard a pang of hurt in his attempt at humor.

"Of course not. They're pastries." She opened the box, revealing two small golden cupcakes inside. They smelled acrid like gasoline and burnt bread, but they worked like a charm. "Just eat one."

She shoved a smelly pastry toward him. In defeat, he picked it up with two fingers holding it at arms' length. V rolled her eyes.

"If you don't want to eat it, fine, but don't come crying to me in the morning when the rest of your hair's fallen out." V felt disarmed by the distrust. Remus commandeered the small cupcake, examining it closely. Sirius glared harshly, waiting to hear whether it was safe for consumption. V straightened her robes, annoyed.

"I'll be back in a half hour." she declared, shoving past a group of studying first years. "Move." They parted, stumbling into each other in an attempt to avoid the odd girl.

V headed to the dungeons shivering. She wished she had thought to bring something warmer with her. This was the one time she couldn't afford to turn back and end up being late. If she wandered into Slughorn's office after nine, she wasn't sure he would still help her even per Dumbledore's request. This was her first meeting with the Potions' Master. Dumbledore had suggested he might have the ingredients necessary for the ale she required. V had been optimistic, but after her encounter with Sirius she found herself questioning Dumbledore's decision to send her to Slughorn.

From what she'd heard, he was not the most trustworthy man nor was he the wisest. As long as he kept his mouth shut about her condition, she wouldn't have to worry, she decided. Shaking her hair out of her face, V tried to reinstate her prior feelings of hopefulness. She hummed mindlessly, trailing her hand along the corridor walls. As her fingers ran over the painting frames, she was met with a mumbled voicing of annoyance from a dark haired knight in a suit of heavy armor.

"Sorry." she muttered, dropping her hand.

XX

By the time V returned to the dorms, it was much later than she'd anticipated. She dragged her feet dejectedly, reflecting on what had happened. Slughorn had given her a serum with a mahogany syrup base, and skrewt flavored undertones. She was still unused to needing any medication at all, let alone one that tasted so awful. It hadn't even seemed to help. Her head swam, as she climbed into bed. If getting well meant taking that potion, she might just prefer to stay sick. The thought depressed her. She knew that wasn't an option. It was either heal, or perish. There was no in between.

V's forehead wrinkled, and she sniffed. She would just have to manage.

The next morning, she was the talk of Gryffindor. When she entered the common room, she was surprised to see all eyes on her. That didn't stop her from covering her bubbling fear with showboating. She threw her arms up, and shook her hands at the crowd vibrantly adding in some hair shaking.

"I'm here! We can all go about our business now." The students returned to their mumbled conversations, and V found the Marauders sitting near a small portrait of a giraffe in dress robes. "What was all that about?" she asked, absentmindedly straightening the back of Remus' robe.

"It seems the whole House has heard about your tryst with Black and Potter." Lily explained, clearly amused at the situation. V noticed that James and Sirius were both present along with their hair. A small smile formed on her lips.

"I'm glad to see you boys back in full swing." V announced, watching as they huddled closely together obviously hiding something. She quirked a thin eyebrow at them. She was sure whatever they were planning was for her. V thought it might be wise for her to be afraid, but she was relieved. Strangely enough, knowing that they still cared enough to attempt to pull one over on her made her feel as though she hadn't stepped on as many toes as she'd originally thought.

"You won't be for long." James whispered eerily. Even though it was obviously meant to be comical, a shiver ran down V's spine. Or maybe she was not so safe from the boys' tendency for revenge.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** I do not own Harry Potter, the Marauders or any piece of the magical world. The credit all goes to J.K. Rowling. Although, I do hope you enjoy my attempt to entertain you with an adaptation of her works anyway.

* * *

_V stepped out onto the shadowy platform. _

"_Hello?" she breathed, "Is anyone there?"_

_A figure shifted in her peripheral vision, and she turned slowly. She searched, but saw nothing. She drew in a breath shakily. Her steps echoed much louder than she preferred as she crossed the platform._

_She ran her hand along the partially illuminated metal of the rail lining the rough brick walls. V concentrated on finding the person in her midst. _

"_I don't intend any harm." she called, more bravely than she felt. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest, causing blood to pound loudly in her ears. A shadow moved quickly past her, and she spun to see a face she had come to dread._

"_But I do." V's eyes began to water as the witch before her came into focus. _

"_Mama." V's voice came out small and hollow. The witch removed her hood, revealing waves of dark hair surrounding an angular face. Her pale skin stretched to cover her high cheekbones and sharp chin. Deep set dark eyes were overcast by the shading of the station. The woman reached a long fingered hand toward her daughter. This simple motion brought V to her knees in rib shaking sobs. Her mother met her, wrapping her thin, robe laden arms around V's shrinking frame._

"_You can't be here." V whispered, wiping her eyes as fresh tears sprang against her will. _

"_You know that I am, Virginia. Do my arms not feel real?" V raised her head, looking into the face of her estranged mother. An angry fire grew in her stomach. _

"_If you're real, why aren't you here?" V croaked. Her throat burned. Her mother hesitated. V stood abruptly, shoving her mother away. _

"_Virginia. You must come to me." The witch's face took on an air of malice. V backed away a step, gaining a more advantageous position. V's face hardened. She noticed a rustle behind her. _

"_Virginia, you must come to me." Her voice came out more harshly. V shook her head, backing away further, paying mind to the rustling that had gained in proximity and number. _

"_You must come to me." It was a growl now. V forced herself to push her shoulders back, and raise her head. The anger she had felt was now accompanied by a small pond of fear. The rustling became louder still, and closer. V felt the breeze off the passing of someone behind her – someones behind her. Her eyes narrowed. How many bodies were there? They passed again, brushing against her shoulders. Someone caressed her hair. _

"_COME TO ME." She roared, and strong hands grabbed V's arms. She yanked against them. V let out a noise of frustration, and tried to see the faces of her assailants. She was met with only white skeletal masks beneath looming hoods. Suddenly her mother was directly in front of her. She leaned forward, brushing V's hair from her face. V could feel the heat from her mother's face on her own. She cringed, and shirked away. _

"_You will come." came the whisper, sending shudders down V's spine. Goosebumps prickled on her arms, and the hair raised on her neck. The image of the station spun around her, encompassing her in its cold embrace. The echoes of her mother's whisper rang in her ears, overpowering all other thoughts. _

XX

Virginia Langston awoke with a start, panting and sweating. She leaned over the side of her bed, parting the curtains surrounding it just in time to lose her stomach on the floor of the dormitory.

"V?" Lily's groggy voice couldn't be heard over the warning of Hera Langston. Virginia retched again. She wiped weakly at the sweat that covered her face. The spinning room around her was slowly coming into focus.

"Virginia?" Lily sounded more awake this time. V could vaguely make out Lily's face as it softened at the sight of her curled over and heaving. She ran from the room, and returned with a wet rag and a glass of water. V felt the bed sink, as Lily sat beside her, causing another round of excretion. "Here. It'll be all right."

V felt the soft rag wipe across her forehead, decreasing the heat that had been building on it. She breathed deeply. Lily gently pulled V's long hair from her face, tying it into a loose braid that fell onto her back. She patted the rest of V's face before placing the wet rag on the back of her clammy neck.

"Thank you." V croaked, reaching carefully for the water. Lily just smiled, helping Virginia take a small drink.

"Better?" Lily asked, uncharacteristically unconcerned about the mess on the floor. V nodded, sitting up. The room was still, but the feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach was present. She thought back onto the recurring dream. Maybe Hera was back. Maybe she was still alive. V closed her eyes as a wave of nausea passed. She nodded.

"I'm fine. You go back to bed. I'll clean this up." Lily nodded, although V recognized the look of disbelief behind her eyes. She didn't want to lie to Lily. They'd become close, and Virginia considered them sisters even after the short span of time that had passed since they met. Lily could read Virginia's face easily. V knew that Lily was only ignoring the obvious discontent that laced her own face. Cleaning up the mess with the wave of a wand, V found she couldn't return to sleep. This dream had seemed stronger some how, and she had never been affected so adversely.

The tall girl wrapped herself in the large soft quilt that covered her bed, and headed down to the Common Room. There was no point in sitting up in the dark. She could use the warmth of the Gryffindor Common Room to help shake the cold that raked her. V padded softly down the stairs. Her head swam with disconcerting thoughts, and she groaned inwardly. This was supposed to pass with the aid of that ludicrous potion. She didn't even notice the long form of Sirius Black sitting before the fire.

"Virginia?" he quirked a brow, but didn't seem entirely surprised by her presence. She sat beside him on the floor, offering him part of her blanket.

"Couldn't sleep." she replied, and he wrapped his own shoulders with the handmade quilt. Their shoulders rested against each other. V was very aware of the warmth Sirius gave off. Her stomach clenched, and she reminded herself to take in a breath.

"Me either." V watched as Sirius stretched his legs out to warm his feet closer to the flames. She noticed his hands were busy tearing up small sheets of slate paper, charmed to create small bursts of colorful sparks as it was lit. Sirius fitfully tore the sheet, and tossed it into the fire, generating an explosion of angry red sparks.

"You wanna talk about it?" V asked, eager for any distraction from her own thoughts. Sirius sighed, and his shoulder rubbed against V's in a welcome contact. Sirius furrowed his dark brow. V offered her hand in encouragement. He laced his fingers through her, squeezing her hand reassuringly.

"Your hand is freezing." He looked at her, almost staring through her. She blinked, unsure. "I'd rather not talk about it."

Sirius was tired. That was all there was to it. He had been struggling this week, and with no relief he found himself endlessly tired. He had been the grimacing recipient of another letter from his family. It was short. There were no details of life at home, nor were there inquiries of his state at Hogwarts. It was only three lines, and they weren't worth reading. Sirius found that his mother's refusal to engage him angered him. It was as though he wasn't worth the time of writing a meaningful, or even polite letter. He did not want to talk about this. Not with V. He found he didn't want to make her worry about him.

"Are you all right?" he asked genuinely concerned. He had heard scuffling upstairs prior to her arrival.

"Bad dreams." A hesitant silence filled the air, and Sirius shifted. V was disappointed to find the contact between them was broken. The brooding boy ripped a piece of slate gilded paper in half, offering it to her. Virginia held the paper in her hands for a moment.

"Toss it in." Sirius encouraged, throwing his own into the dying flames. Pops of orange flew from the fire. "Try it." He glanced at her, nudging her with his elbow. She made a face at him before tossing her own piece into the fire. Gray and blue sparks burst forth, fizzling quietly creating a peaceful air about them. V grinned.

"Can I have another?" V asked eagerly. Sirius returned a crooked smile, handing her another piece.

They sat for a while, tossing papers into the fire and earning explosions of color. Virginia laughed quietly, leaning into Sirius' side. He was surprised, but his chest tightened at the proximity. Sirius brought his arm around Virginia, pulling her closer to him. She sighed contentedly. Sirius leaned closer, breathing in deeply. The gentle smell of honey enticed him, tempting him closer.

His stomach clenched, and his mind drifted to his dreams from before.

_He had opened his door to find a quiet, and pleasantly scantily clad Virginia before him. She had asked to come in, and he had stepped aside to let her enter the dormitory. _

"_How did you get up here?" he had asked, his stomach in knots at the close proximity. She looked at him coolly through her thick dark lashes. She assessed him in the most soul bending gaze he had ever been subject to. His blood ran hot, and his palms began to sweat. He couldn't remember a time, when he had been so nervous._

"_I'm here. What's it matter how I made it?" her voice was alluring, a sweeter, more harmonious version of its normal tingling tones. It made Sirius' body ache._

"_It doesn't." he cleared his throat, willing himself not to appear flustered. He ran his eyes over her long limbs, thin torso and soft face that held a look that made his mouth dry. Her hair was messier than usual, unkempt in a way that made him wish that he had been the one to muss it. His hands twitched at the thought. Her perfectly sculpted lips turned up in a smile that could have brought the Dark Lord himself to his knees._

"_Virginia, I-" she stepped closer to him, placing a soft warm hand on his bare shoulder. He inhaled sharply. His biceps flexed as he moved his larger hand on top of hers. He reveled in the feel of her tiny hand sheltered in his. His body twitched._

"_Shh." she breathed into his ear, running the fingers from her other hand through his own messy hair. She sighed, a sound Sirius wished would never end. "I love your hair..." _

_Sirius watched as Virginia twisted her head, bringing her mouth sinfully close to his own. Her breath tickled his lips, urging him forward. She looked up at him again calling him to her. Sirius brought his jaw forward, licking his lips at the thought of her mouth. She closed her eyes, and her mouth was so close that when her tongue darted across her lips, moistening them, he could feel it on his own mouth. He groaned. _

He cleared his throat loudly, considering the possibility of kissing the girl before him. He was going to. He _had _to. If he didn't, he would go mad. Sirius dwelled on the thought. He considered her face again. When she had walked down the stairs, she had looked so lost, so in pain. He wanted to take that all away. But, he couldn't take advantage of her. Not like this.

Sirius laid his forehead against the top of her head, breathing in her smell.

"Can I tell you something, Sirius?" the sound of his name from her lips, made his stomach churn happily. He nodded.

"I've been having nightmares. For a while now. I know I told you that I came here, because of my papa...but that's not the entire truth. He wanted me to be safe, Sirius. I've-" she hesitated, looking up at the boy. He met her eyes, willing her forward. She found comfort in the depths of gray. "I've been sick." she whispered. Sirius tensed, but pulled her closer. He rubbed his arm up and down her soft shoulder.

"How?" he asked calmly, giving V the solidity she needed to continue.

"For a while now, since my mama went missing." V continued. "It started with amnesia. I would forget where I was or how I got there, and then it just sort of...transformed...into this horrible sickness. I get really weak, Sirius. And I lose track of everything. But, the worst part is these dreams. I-I see her. And she's calling for me, but there's someone else there, too. Someone.._evil." _she shuddered, burrowing deeper into Sirius' side. "It's like she needs me...she keeps telling me she's here...but I have to come to her." Virginia turned and looked up at Sirius. Her eyes traced the hard planes of his face, the furrow of his brow. They lingered on his large mouth before returning to his eyes. "I'm scared, Sirius."

It was barely audible. And Sirius felt his heart ache. Virginia was scared. She was terrified, and she didn't know why, or how, or what to do. He pulled her against him suddenly, engulfing her in his arms. She buried her face into his shoulder, sniffling.

"You don't have to be." Sirius said into her hair, pulling her tighter against him. "We-we can figure it out."

"It's not that easy." she whispered, her lips moved against his hard shoulder in small brushing movements. "I'm going to die."

Sirius hardened.

"No, V, no. You're not going to die."

"I am, Sirius. I..keep getting weaker. Papa took me to St. Mungo's and they don't what it is. They said it looks like some sort of Bonding Spell gone wrong, but that's all they know. They have me taking these potions to manage it, but they can't save me, Sirius. They don't know how to save me."

Warm tears rolled down Sirius' shoulder, and he rubbed his hands in circles on the small of her back. They stayed like that for a long time, Virginia crying quietly into his shoulder and Sirius attempting to quell her sadness. When the fire flickered out, Virginia pulled away leaving Sirius colder than he had been before. He raised a large hand, wiping the streams of tears away from her hazel eyes. She closed them, finding peace in his touch.

"I'll save you." he whispered, his mouth barely moving. V barely heard him, or thought she heard him. The corners of her mouth turned up in a small smile. Sirius leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers. He eyed her mouth, hungrily. And V found herself recalling retching in the dormitory not but a few hours earlier. Nervous butterflies flapped noisily in her stomach. Sirius moved achingly closer, bringing his mouth only a few centimeters from hers. V licked her lips.

"I wish you could." she said, turning away. She stood, and gathered her blanket with her. "Good night, Sirius."

Sirius watched her walk back toward her dormitory. His heart ached for her. He would save her, if he could, if she wanted him to. There was never a challenge he hadn't met before. And he knew he wouldn't be able to live with himself, if he didn't meet this one.

"Sweet dreams." he called quietly after she had already closed the wooden door of the girls' dorm.

XX

"V, I don't see why we can't go to Hogsmeade some other weekend." Lily whined, pulling her brown jacket closer against her stomach. It was unusually chilly for early October, and Virginia had insisted that she and the Marauders join her for a trip to the small village.

"Lily, this isn't just any old trip to Hogsmeade!" Virginia scoffed, "This trip is special."

"Especially cold." James muttered, wishing he had brought his scarf and gloves instead of trying to appear more masculine for Lily by going without. He walked beside her wishing he could grab her hand as she tucked it into her pocket.

"Knock it off, Prongs. It is important that we come out today." Remus said from beside V, who grinned enthusiastically at the support. "Everyone could use a break from studying. Even me."

"Thank you, Remus, you always were my favorite." He blushed at the compliment. Virginia was always throwing offhand compliments his way. She had noticed he seemed less confident than the other boys, and she was working to remedy that.

"After all, Prongs, it's getting close to Halloween. Prime season, if you ask me." Sirius winked at the messy haired boy, speeding up to catch the group. He had been held over at the castle, getting stopped by Regulus and his charming attitude for a moment.

"Ah, yes! Time to restock." James agreed, gaining cheer. Lily shivered beside him, and he stepped closer. "Y'know, Evans, I'd be happy to give an arm to stop the cold."

Lily sighed and frowned at the boy, although she smiled inwardly pleased at the attention Potter always paid to her.

"Not in your lifetime, Potter."

"One day you'll be begging for me, and I won't be there." He teased.

"Please, James, you'll _always_ be waiting for her." V snorted, leading the group toward the Three Broomsticks. "Coco time!"

The group spent the day roaming the breezy streets, and dodging between groups of mingling students. James and Sirius picked up copious amounts of concealed gags from Zonko's while Lily and Remus emptied the small book section of Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop. V followed along, content to be surrounded by the group while Peter latched on to James' side.

At the end of the month, the boys were planning a costume party in the Common Room, and V was ecstatic for a reason to find a costume. The importance of going on this Hogsmeade trip was primarily to get the guys out of Hogwarts. The gang had become bogged down with classwork, and its members were beginning to snap at each other in frustration. Virginia was hoping to cool them off by taking their minds off the upcoming due dates, and it seemed to be working.

"Fancy a stop at Hog's Head?" Sirius asked, stopping outside the rickety bar. Prongs grinned.

"You know we can't go in there, Sirius." Lily scolded, "We're not of age."

"Ah, but we have our ways." James removed the tail of a piece of glimmering fabric from the inside of his jacket, grinning cockily.

"Come on, Lil, have some fun." Remus' face settled into reluctant approval, and Peter nodded eagerly pleading with the redhead.

"I don't know..." she pondered, looking at V for back-up. She was disappointed to find V looking longingly at the bar. "Fine. Let's go."

The boys let out a victorious cry before James pulled the cloak over himself.

"How are we supposed to get in?" V asked, watching as James disappeared from view.

"I'll let you in the back once I get through." said the bodiless voice. The door opened with no visible prompting as the group of teens moved around the back of the building.

"He's not coming back, you know." Lily asserted after a few minutes of waiting. V and Sirius had begun a hand game of slaps that she was teaching him. He held his hands over hers nervously as she twitched hers beneath until he pulled his away. After a few instances of this, she successfully slapped his. Earning a look of faux hurt as they switched places. Peter had taken a seat on the ground leaning against the worn brick, while Remus was observing various plants that lined the wall.

"We've been waiting out here forever. That's just like him to abandon us for his own pleasure."

"Relax, Lil, I'm sure he's just waiting for the opportune moment-" V squeaked at the end as Sirius brought his hands down on her in a loud _smack._ She rubbed her hands together, sticking her pink tongue out at him. He grinned wolfishly.

"I'm sure V's right." Remus agreed, flipping over a hexagonal leaf with small white fluff along the edges. He ran it between his fingers. The texture was that of a cat's tongue. Lily huffed, folding her arms over her chest.

"It's too cold to be kept waiting. Besides, I have an essay for Transfiguration due on Monday. I don't have time for this." She turned looking toward the path to the castle.

"Give him five minutes." Sirius said, glancing toward the back door. If Prongs wasn't here yet, he was sure there was a good reason for it. Lily settled onto a large rock near the tan stone of the street.

"Five minutes." she agreed.

Twenty minutes later the door creaked open, revealing the toe of James red muggle shoes. The white toe cap nudged the door forward, and the glistening fabric of his cloak rustled around his ankles. Converse is what V remembered him calling them.

"It's about time, Prongs." Remus muttered. "We were about to leave you."

"_I'm_ still leaving." Lily griped, angry at the snub of being kept waiting. James pulled the cloak off after shutting the door. His face was paler than usual and his eyes wide.

"We have to get back to Hogwarts." he said, the somberness in his voice catching everyone's attention. He ruffled his hair.

"What's going on?" Sirius asked seriously.

"He's back. And he's gathering followers." James replied, walking toward the path to the castle. "I don't think we should be here. There were students in there – Slytherins, mostly, I reckon – they were being recruited."

Sirius frowned. "Who was in there, Prongs? Who were they talking to?"

"Some witch." he looked at their faces, hesitating on V's. "She looked a bit like you actually."

V swallowed hard.

XX


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **Only in my wildest dreams am I the brilliant mind behind Harry Potter, Hogwarts, and all that comes with it. I take this pause from writing final papers on deforestation, and the evolution of poverty policies in the U.S. over time to, hopefully, entertain you for a moment. Enjoy.

* * *

Sirius Black was unconventional. His mother, Walburga Black, never stopped reminding him of it either. She predicated every conversation with her son with "If you were more like Regulus..." and conditioned any ounce of praise with "so long as you don't lose sight of power." Yes, Sirius Black was everything his mother wished he wasn't. She had never imagined she would wind up with an immature brown-noser as a son. Walburga had thanked Merlin when Regulus came along. At least he followed the Black family mantra, and sought to prolong the family's power and dignity. All Sirius sought to do was destroy it.

It had been a long time since Walburga had talked to her son in earnest. When he was younger, up until the age of six or so, he had adored his mother, and she him. Walburga could recall a young bumbling ball of black hair with large gray eyes, crying softly over a grasshopper being squished. She would scoop him into her arms and brush his locks with her fingers, gently untangling her rings as they became tangled. Sirius had been her first born, and she had given a piece of her heart to him as any mother would a child.

It wasn't that she was always a cold woman and a heartless mother – that was evident when observing her relationship with her younger son. Walburga had simply invested so much of herself into Sirius that she was shattered when he went against the family. She had done well to teach him the ways of the world, the importance of blood purity, the value in loyalty until death, and the grace in standing strong before the world in a position of power. Sirius was not a good learner. This was the conclusion that the matriarch had come to when her boy was sorted in Gryffindor. He obviously lacked the initiative it took to follow through the struggle to come to power. She decided on that day that Sirius was not someone she was entirely proud of. If anything he became a smear on the Black name, and she found herself cringing when she heard of his graceless antics.

Walburga had wasted ten good years of her life striving to mold Sirius into an upstanding, graceful and dignified leader. What she received was an embarrassment. Maybe, maybe she could have accepted , her son, if she had been expecting the blow. But, she had had her feet knocked out from under her when Sirius came into himself. She had yet to figure out what she had done wrong. And every time she saw her son, with his cold eyes and stern face, she was reminded of her short-fallings. Yes, Sirius Black was a disgrace to his mother not because of who he was, but because of who he was not. And Walburga could not let herself live that down.

XX

It was another crisp morning on the grounds, and the Marauders were loafing about, while the girls sat through classes.

"Open your mind, Plemgood, and you shall begin to see." droned Eliphas Mopsus, circling the room. He tapped the cards before the small Ravenclaw girl. "_Now_ look."

"Erm..." she muttered, squinting at the three cards before her, "it looks like you're a wizard, and you'll have a cat, but he'll die." The boy next to her chuckled, and she blushed. Mopsus narrowed his eyes.

"Langston, give it a go for us, please." V looked up from her own table with Lily. She quite enjoyed the intimate and earthy feel of the Divinations room, and tarot cards were one of her favorite practices. She flexed her feet, clearing her throat.

"It's the Wheel of Fortune, so you will be facing changes in your emotional life." V said, flipping the second card. "And the Star, means that it is time for you to move about freely...but this is Judgment, so you have to move quickly, because the moment of great criticism is near." V ended confidently, looking up at Lily. The other girl shifted awkwardly.

"Condense, apply, and explain, Miss. Langston." V sighed.

"Well, there's going to be something happening, either positive or negative, that's going to cause you great emotional stress. And it's your opportunity to take action, and do something before the reckoning comes and it's too late. But you'll have to be careful, because reckless action even in the favorable conditions of the Star can be criticized heavily at the Judgment." V eyed Lily, pondering what question exactly she had been thinking of when touching the deck of cards. It appeared to have been a love related question, making Virginia ever the more curious about Lily's feelings toward James.

After class, Lily seemed to be running to get away from the dark haired girl. V sighed, leaning against the stone wall of the stairwell. A flood of robed Ravenclaws and Gryffindors flowed past her, as she caught her breath.

It had been a week since James had observed the woman at the Hog's Head, and Virginia had been anxious ever since. It wasn't in her nature to worry so adamantly, but it had been years since she had seen her mother. Her mother had a bit of lore about her at V's house. Word from her grandparents had led her to believe her mother to be a leach of sorts in that she was hungry. Always hungry. Her father had told her that Hera was a powerful Seer, always losing focus and staring vacantly at the ceiling as visions passed through her.

Virginia could remember her mother from when she was young, but only vaguely. When James had described a witch as resembling her, V had been surprised that her dream version of her mother may actually be accurate. Her papa used to tell her stories about her mother before V had even begun to come into her powers. The stories were usually about her mother's laugh, and bright eyes. They painted a storybook picture of Hera. She was tall, and beautiful. V idolized her. As she got older though, she realized that these stories were not entirely true. They were gray scale versions of a much more colorful life. Her mother was power hungry. She saw many things, but she did not share them.

Hera Langston wanted to create a legacy for herself, and that could not be done by sharing one's findings. She had to lay claim to her visions, and own them as her own. When she found herself to be pregnant by Elliot Langston, she had been furious. Hera was incredibly mercurial. She was being limited by Elliot, and she felt herself becoming trapped, quickly. She did the only thing she could think of to make the child less of an anchor and more like wings. She did what she always did. She closed her eyes and whispered a spell.

XX

"You've been awfully quiet, Miss Virginia." Sirius whispered, seating himself beside the pensive girl. She raised her eyebrows at him.

"Don't you know to never interrupt a crocodile during its dinner." She asked, spearing an asparagus stalk.

"I've never heard that one before." Remus chimed, doubting Virginia's credibility.

"You've obviously never spent time in the bayou." Remus snorted into his pumpkin juice.

"'Ello, mates." James placed himself into a rather tight space between Lily and Peter, causing Peter to teeter on the edge of the bench. He grabbed the small boy by the arm, pulling him into a slightly more secure spot on the bench. Peter glared at James before going back to his ham.

"Can't you ever be normal, Potter?" Lily asked frustrated.

"What fun is there in that, Evans? I'd much rather have your attention."

"Don't you think that perhaps Lily is right, mate?" Remus lifted his fork for emphasis, "You did just knock Wormtail to the floor there." James shrugged his shoulders in a grand gesture.

"There are always casualties to progress."

"What progress?" Sirius couldn't remember a time James had ever been considered in forward motion in regards to Lily. James narrowed his eyes, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"_I_ am _always_ making progress, Padfoot. It's what makes me so irresistible." Virginia laughed loudly, a noise that made Sirius jump beside her.

"Something funny, Langston?" James narrowed his eyes even more, something Virginia had thought impossible.

"Lily's only been resisting your pursuits for years. It hardly seems fair to deem yourself irresistible." V pointed out, although she couldn't help, but to think back to the Wheel of Fortune card from earlier. Perhaps James _was_ winning her over, and it was going to cause great criticism, but she'd have to let herself be happy even if it meant being critiqued. V made a mental note to question her best friend about it later.

"Oi, Black." a blonde boy of medium build approached the table, the freckles on his nose stood in stark comparison to his pale skin. "Can I have a word?"

"S'pose." Sirius stood, exiting the hall with the nondescript bloke.

"So now that he's gone, can we discuss the party?" Virginia was more excited than she cared to admit for the illicit shenanigans scheduled for the end of the month. The excitement had doubled, when she had learned it was also very close to one Sirius Black's sixteenth birthday. This only meant all the more unspeakable activities and substances. V withheld a chuckle.

"Right, well, I was thinking..."

"Here we go..." Remus rolled his eyes, but there was a noticeable gleam of pride behind the sarcastic gesture.

"Ahem. I was _thinking_ that we could smuggle in some you know what from you know where."

"Uh huh, uh huh." Peter egged James on.

"And we'll plant you know whats you know where." James continued.

"Right, right."

"So that you know who will be you know what when he walks into you know where."

"James, if you say one more vague phrase I will curse you to next Tuesday." Lily snapped.

"I just don't want to ruin the surprise." he pouted. "Peter and I've managed to get quite the lot stocked up for the occasion. All we need you lot to do is come in costume. And of course, don't tell Padfoot you know it's his birthday. Of course, that would give the whole thing away."

When Sirius reappeared at the table, his mood was noticeably dimmer.

"You a'right?" James questioned, stopping his attack on the sandwich on his plate. Sirius took a break from glowering. He seemed to remove a layer of gray from his appearance.

"O'course." he replied, diving back into his meal. But Sirius' appetite was far from present.

XX

Following the sandy blonde into the hallway, Sirius was met with the overwhelming feeling of dread.

"What is it, Connell?" Sirius asked impatiently. The empty hallway was striking him the wrong way, and he didn't want to spend any more time in it than necessary. Not to mention that V had been unusually quiet lately, and he was uncomfortable leaving her alone for long periods of time.

"I've got a note from Reg." Connell replied not unkindly, handing Sirius a small taupe envelope, marked with a curling RAB. Sirius fought the urge to hurl the envelope back at the harbinger's head.

"Thanks." Connell opened his mouth as if to say something. Sirius raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"Hey, Sirius," he started, "Y'know the old shack by Primton?" Sirius pictured the bleak neighborhood of Primton. It was a few blocks from his own home, and it surrounded a large square with a great stone statue of Ichabod the Seventh. The houses weren't much. All of them quite resembled shacks. Sirius knew which shack Connell was referring to however. There was one stone structure very much resembling a disintegrating fairy tale cottage with thatching as the roof, and worn stone as the walls. When he and Regulus got along, they used to trek to the small neighborhood and dare each other to touch the nose of the grimacing gnome statue placed beside the shack's front door.

He nodded.

"I-" the boy hesitated, glancing behind Sirius and behind himself. Sirius wondered for a moment, if he would finish his thought. "There's an interesting couple that lives there. That's all." Connell turned quickly reentering the Great Hall, leaving Sirius puzzling over the odd thought.

When he followed the blonde back inside, he spotted his group of friends at the Gryffindor table. They seemed so natural, leaning into each other, and laughing amicably. He smiled. Looking to the Slytherin table, he spotted his brother. Regulus was seated by his cousin Bella, and looked disgusted with the situation. He was picking at his plate, unpleasantly. Sirius frowned. He saw Connell as well, but the freckled sixth year was seated far from his brother at the opposite end of the table next to what appeared to be Snivellus Snape. Sirius sniffed, haughtily, rejoining his friends.

XX

On the evening before Halloween, Lily and Virginia sat with their bunk mates, Alice and Cassie, pouring over magazines. Alice was painting Virginia's face with layers of color, creating altered bone structure and eye shape. Lily was seated on the floor, flipping through the pages of the bright magazines, while Cassie tugged at her red hair, twisting it into various styles.

"I just don't know what I should be." Lily whined.

"Hold still, Langston." Alice scolded, pulling back her brush before V could mar the work she had done.

"Why not just go as a cat?" Cassie asked, ducking as a pillow flew toward her head. "Okay, okay, or not a cat."

"They're just so overdone." V clarified. "But, I know just what Miss Evans should be!" Lily sighed, but did not look up from the magazine.

"And what pray tell is that?"

"Juliet! We can paint you up until you're positively medieval. You'll have James absolutely drooling."

"A muggle?" Cassie wrinkled her small, pointed nose. "How will a desperate lovestruck girl lure in Potter?"

"She wasn't a muggle, Cass. Haven't you read anything? Juliet was one of the first witches to make love potions. She also had the misfortune of the potion backfiring, causing both her and the potion's drinker to become overwrought with love leading to their demise." Alice explained. Lily looked up, locking eyes with V.

"So you're in?" V asked, excited at the thought of her plan come to life. She'd already convinced James to be Romeo.

"Not because of James." Lily said sharply, "but because being the first witch to create something as complicated as a love potion shows great intelligence. Plus I like the idea of a powerful witch being perceived by most to be 'only' a muggle."

"I'll bite." V replied, "as long as I get to help tame that hair into a plait of braids."

"Merlin, V, when you say it like that it sounds hideous." Cassie guffawed.

"Well, all right. Whatever. What are you going to be anyway?" The petite brunette shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.

"Probably just a witch, or maybe Rowena Ravenclaw. Yes, that's it. I think I'd like to dress as a ghost. Think of the gorgeous silver and all the glitter I could use to make it." Cassie's eyes glowed.

"Watch out for this one," Alice laughed, "She'll be leaving sequins in her wake all night."

"What about you, Alice?" Lily asked, setting aside her magazines to clean up the brushes Cassie had knocked to the ground in her daydream.

"A healer. I've always wanted to be one anyways. I've got the perfect green robes, of course, shortened just a bit for the occasion." Alice winked, causing Lily to smile. She was glad to see Alice coming out of her cage. She had been one of the shyest girls in their house prior to this year.

"You, all, will look _so_ b-e-a-utiful." Virginia crooned, wiping fake tears away from her eyes.

"Oh, hush. Are you finally going to say your costume then?" Lily interrogated. She had been trying to find out V's costume for the past two weeks, but the girl was tight lipped as a clam.

"You know it's a surprise." V winked.


End file.
